Wheel.



PATENTBD JULY 21, 1903.

R. s." BRYANT.

WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. a1, 1903.

' N0 MODEL.

fr vcimni S. Bryant UNITED STATES RICHARD S. BRYANT,

Patented July 21, 1903,

' PATENT OFFICE.

OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

WHVLELEL.

SPEGIFICATIQN forming partof Letters; Patent no. 734,254, dated July 21, 1903.

' meats filed March 31,1903, serial mitoses. a. ma i.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD S: BRYANT, a citizen of the United StELl36S, 1GSlClll1g.8/h Co lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Wheels,"ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle-wheels, and

has for its object toprovide an improved sec'-" tional or built up wheel structure which while useful in many applications is particularly adapted for use in connection with pneu matic and cushioned tires and for application to motor-vehicles. 7

It is furthermore designed to produce the wheel from sheet metal,which is stan1ped,cut,

or otherwise formed into the several sections of the wheel and the cooperating sections brazed, so as to be strongly, durably, and rigidly connected in an efficient manner.

With these and other objects in viewvthe' present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be herein after more fully described, shown in the'ac-' companying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims, it being understood that changes inthe form, proportion,

size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing anyof the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a wheel constructed in accordance with the present invention, one-half of the frame portion thereof being removed to disclose certain internal portions of the wheel. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of thewhe'el. detail sectional view illustrating the connection between the outer 'end of an internal spoke member and the rim. Fig. l is a detail cross-sectional viewof one ofthe spokes. Fig.

5 is a detail cross-sectional View taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

Like characters 'of reference designate cor-' responding parts in each andevery figure of the drawings. v

As hereinbefore indicated, it is an important feature of this invention to form the wheel of sheet metal, and in carrying out this object the wheel comprises duplicate half-sections 1 and 2, respectively, and therefore a description of one section will suflice for both seewith the taperof the outer members.

Fig. 3 is a tions. Each section has a fiat central portion provided with a circular opening 3 for the reception of any suitable or preferred type of hub. (Not shown, as the hub feature forms no part of the'presentinvention.) From the central portion 1. the spoke members 4 radiate, said spokes being pressed, stamped, or otherwise formed into semicircular or semi-elliptical shape, as best indicated in Fig. 4 ofthe drawings, with the convex faces of the spokes at the outer side of the wheel-section." The outer ends of the spoke members are connected by an integral'rim portion, which is bowed or bulged outwardly at 5 to give it a semi-elliptical shape in cross-section. As shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, it will benoted that the rim portion 5 is disposed at the outer side of the plane of the central portion of the wheelsection and the spokes are disposed at the opposite or inner side of the section, so that when the opposite wheel-sections are brought together, with the edges of corresponding spoke members in mutual engagement, the free edges of the bowed rim portions 5 are separated by an annular interspace. Prior to bringing the opposite wheel-sections together inner tubular sheet-metal spoke members 6 are fitted snugly in the spoke members of one of the wheel-sections, said inner members tapering.outwardly to correspond Each inner member has its inner end terminated flush withthe periphery of the opening 3 in the wheel-section and is cut away at opposite sides, so as to lie flat against the central portion of the wheel-section. Upon reference to Fig. l of the drawings it will be seen that the inner end portions of adjacent inner spoke members lie inmutual engagement from the point of intersection'of adjacent outer spoke members and the periphery of the opening 3 in the wheel-section and are connected by a tongue 7, which is bent from the inner end porouter side of the band, so as to form a rigid connection therewith.

Between the rim portions 5 of the wheelsections a substantially U-shaped supplemental rim member 12 is snugly fitted, so as to bridge the interval between the rim portions 5, with the opposite free edge portions of the supplemental rim bent into the form of fian ges l3, snugly embracing the free edges of the rim portions 5, thereby to reinforce and stiffen the same and present smooth rounded edges to the tire, (not shown,) which is adapted to be seated between the rim portions 5.

All of the meeting edges of the opposite wheel-sections are brazed, so as to form a strong, rigid, durable, and water-tight joint between the sections, and thereby to obviate the employment of separate fastenin gs, which are liable to break and work loose, and thereby render the wheel loose and unserviceablc.

3y reference to Fig. 4 it will be noted that the inner and outer spokes are arranged to break joints.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A wheel composed of opposite half-sections, each section being formed of sheet metal and provided with semitubular spokes and a semitubular rim portion, the spoke members of one section being united to the spoke members of the other section, and a band lying within the rim portion and snugly embracing the outer ends of the spokes.

2. A wheel, composed of opposite half-sections,each section being formed of sheet metal and provided with semitubular spoke members projected at the inner side of the plane of the central portion of the section and hav:

ing a semitubular rim portion at the opposite and outer side of the section, the spoke members of one section being brazed to the corresponding spoke members of the other section and the rim portions being separated by an annular interspace to receive a tire, and a band lying within the rim portion and snugly embracing the outer ends of the spokes.

3. A wheel comprising opposite sections having sem'itubular spokes which are open at their outer ends, a band circumferentially embracing the outer open ends of the spokes, and inner tubular spoke members fitted within the outer spoke members and provided at their outer ends with projections passed through perforations in the band and bent back against the latter.

l. A wheel comprising opposite sections having semitubular spoke members, and inner tubular spoke members fitted within the outer spoke members and projected through the inner ends thereof, the inner projected ends of adjacent inner spoke members lying in mutual contact and mutually connected.

5. A wheel comprising opposite sections having semitubular spoke members, and inner tubular spoke members fitted within the outer spoke members and projected through the inner ends thereof, the inner projected end portions of adjacent inner spoke members lyin in mutual contact, one of said members having an opening and the other having a projection fitted into the opening to connect the members.

(3. A wheel comprising opposite sections having semitubular spokes which are open at opposite ends, tubular spoke members fitted within the outer spokes and projected through the inner ends thereof, the projected end portions of adjacent spoke members lying in mutual contact, one of said projected ends having an opening, and the other having a projection fitted into the opening to connect the members, and a band circumferentially embracing the open outer ends of the outer spokes, the outer ends of the inner spokes havil'lg projections fitted into perforations in the band.

7. A wheel composed of opposite half-sections, each section embodying semitubular spoke members and semitubular rim portions, the spoke members of one section being united to the corresponding spoke members of the other section, the rim portions being separated by an annular interspace, and a rim member substantially U-shaped in cross-section snugly fitted between the rim portions with its opposite peripheral edges bent over and embracing the outer edges of the respective rim portions.

8. A wheel composed of opposite half-sections, each section having semitubular spoke members and a semitubular rim portion, the corresponding spoke members being mutually nnited and the rim portions being separated by an annular interspace, inner tubular spoke members fitted within the outer spoke members, a band between the rim portions and connected to the outer ends of the inner spoke members, and a rim member substantially U-shaped in cross-section snugly fitted between the rim portions with its opposite peripheral edges bent over and embracing the outer edges of the respective rim portions.

RICHARD S. BRYANT.

In presence of O. O. SHEPHERD, A. L. PHELPS. 

